Mumbai, Sep 22 (IANS): Indian equity markets soared on the back of positive global cues on Thursday.

Both the key indices provisionally closed the day's trade with gains of around a per cent each, as healthy buying was witnessed in stocks of banking, automobile, and capital goods.

The wider 51-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) surged by 90.30 points or 1.03 per cent, to 8,867.45 points.

The barometer 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the BSE, which opened at 28,766.94 points, provisionally closed at 28,773.13 points (at 3.30 p.m.) -- up 265.71 points or 0.93 per cent from the previous close at 28,507.42 points. 

The Sensex touched a high of 28,871.92 points and a low of 28,693.07 points during the intra-day trade. 

The BSE market breadth was tilted in favour of the bulls -- with 1,674 advances and 1,064 declines.

On Wednesday, the benchmark indices had closed flat as initial gains were pared by a last hour bout of profit-booking.

The barometer index had slipped by 15.78 points or 0.06 per cent. In contrast, the NSE Nifty had inched up by 1.25 points or 0.01 per cent.